History

OUR HISTORY

The Interfaith Action Food Bank was formed in 1982 as a result of the vision of several servant leaders in the Columbus, GA community who saw the need for a centralized, consolidated food source for disadvantaged families and individuals.

The first load of food weighing 1,469 lbs. was delivered to the food bank in the back of a borrowed van to the new warehouse on Oates Avenue in Columbus, Ga. On August 14, 1992, we moved to our current location on Coca Cola Blvd. in east Columbus. Two years later we became an affiliate of the Second Harvest National Food Bank Network. The first Kids Café site was opened at the Booker T. Washington apartments in June 1995. In 1997, because of our association with the national network, our name was changed to Second Harvest Food Bank of the Chattahoochee Valley. 2001 was the launch of the first Mobile Pantry which delivered food boxes to our southern counties and in March, 2008, with the national network changing its name to Feeding America, our Board of Directors voted to change our name to Feeding the Valley, Inc.

Today, we operate from our central 23,000 sq. ft. warehouse on Coca Cola Blvd. and distribute an average of more than 600,000 pounds of food on a monthly basis; approximately 8 million pounds annually to 14 counties in Georgia and Alabama and, in 2014, we opened a new satellite location with 24,000 square feet in LaGrange, GA. This satellite warehouse serves our northern counties of Troup, Talbot, Meriwether and Harris. It is conveniently located by a Walmart Distribution Center, one of our major retail donors.

TIMELINE

1982 – Interfaith Action Food Bank formed and first warehouse was 80 sq. ft. and located on Oates Ave. in Columbus, Ga.

1983 – The first load of food was delivered to the Interfaith Food Bank and weighed 1,469 pounds. 1992 – Between 1982 and 1992, there were 20 more moves to larger locations before moving to current warehouse on Coca Cola Blvd. in east Columbus.

1994 – We became an affiliate of the Second Harvest National Food Bank Network

1995 – First Kids Café site was opened at Booker T. Washington apartments in Columbus, Ga. This was a partnership with the Columbus Housing Authority, Parks and Recreation and Interfaith Food Bank.

1997 – We changed our name to Second Harvest Food Bank of the Chattahoochee Valley because of our association with the national network.

2001 – We launched the first Mobile Pantry which distributed food boxes to our rural southern counties. We also completed renovation of our warehouse that included a new food sorting area, walk-in cooler and freezer and a full-line, 3,000 sq. ft. commercial kitchen.

2009 – With the national network changing its name to Feeding America, our Board of Directors voted to change our name to Feeding the Valley, Inc.

2015 and 2016 – Feeding the Valley passed its first AIB inspection for food safety in both the Columbus and LaGrange warehouse locations.

2016 – Feeding the Valley breaks ground to build a new state-of-the-art warehouse facility in east Columbus, GA that will serve as it’s central headquarters.

Today, we operate from our central 23,000 sq. ft. warehouse on Coca Cola Blvd. in Columbus, Ga. and distribute an average of 600,000 pounds of food on a monthly basis, approximately 8 million pounds annually to 14 counties in Georgia and Alabama.